The present invention relates to a semiconductor process system, its control method, computer readable memory and a device manufacturing method which can use the system.
A conventional semiconductor process system comprises a host computer for managing semiconductor processes, a semiconductor processing apparatus for performing semiconductor processes, and means for conveying materials such as wafers and the like, and automatically executes semiconductor processes via information communications of these components. In such system, the host computer instructs the convey means to convey materials to the semiconductor process apparatuses while monitoring the operation state of the semiconductor process apparatus, and the semiconductor process apparatus sends a material receipt report to the host computer upon reception of the material conveyed by the convey means. The host computer then issues a job instruction to the semiconductor process apparatus, which performs the semiconductor processes in accordance with the instruction. The semiconductor process apparatus holds job data such as process conditions and the like required for the instructed jobs in files, a database, and the like in advance, and executes the processes on the basis of the held job data upon reception of the job instruction from the host computer.
In this fashion, in the conventional system, the semiconductor process apparatus receives materials, and performs processes on the basis of job data held in advance in accordance with job instructions received from the host computer. However, when the semiconductor process apparatus does not hold any job data required for the instructed jobs, it must cancel or suspend the jobs, and the required job data must be installed on the semiconductor process apparatus to restart jobs. This results in poor job efficiency.
It is an object of the present invention to improve the process efficiency in the semiconductor processes or semiconductor device manufacturing technique in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional problems.
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor process system, which comprises a semiconductor process apparatus for performing various jobs to manufacture a semiconductor device, material convey means for conveying materials used in the jobs to the semiconductor process apparatus, and a host computer for monitoring an operation state of the semiconductor process apparatus, instructing the material convey means to convey a material used in a required job, and instructing the semiconductor process apparatus to execute the job, wherein the host computer makes a job reservation that informs the semiconductor process apparatus of the job to be executed simultaneously with the convey instruction of the material used in the required job, and the semiconductor process apparatus confirms in accordance with the job reservation if job data required for the reserved job is present in the apparatus, and takes a predetermined measure if the job data is not present.
Also, according to the present invention, there is provided a device manufacturing method for manufacturing a semiconductor device by monitoring, using a host computer, an operation state of a semiconductor process apparatus for performing various jobs to manufacture the semiconductor device, instructing material convey means to convey a material used in a required job, and instructing the semiconductor process apparatus to execute the job, wherein the host computer makes a job reservation that informs the semiconductor process apparatus of the job to be executed simultaneously with the convey instruction of the material used in the required job, and the semiconductor process apparatus confirms in accordance with the job reservation if job data required for the reserved job is present in the apparatus, and takes a predetermined measure if the job data is not present.
According to the present invention, since the predetermined measure is taken, for example, required job data is prepared, while the convey means conveys the required materials, the job efficiency of the semiconductor processes can be improved.